What is CBN?

Cannabinol (CBN) is one of the many non-psychoactive cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Cannabis plants produce CBN as they age as an outcropping of the THC they produce. As the plant’s flowers are exposed to heat and air, the THC they contain converts into CBN, which means the more a cannabis plant ages, the more CBN it produces.

By the reverse token, cannabis flowers, or buds, that have been freshly cured, such as for smoking or vaporizing, contain very little CBN. If such buds sit around for a while unused, however, their CBN content will increase.

CBN Distillate vs Isolate

Two of the ways to get CBN in its purest form are as CBN distillate and CBN isolate. Both forms use processes that isolate CBN from the other cannabinoids in cannabis to make a more refined, potent and purer form of the compound.

CBN Distillate

CBN distillate contains at least 70% CBN. It is made through a process known as chromatography that separates each of the cannabinoids in the plant, and comes in a liquid form, making it ideal for producing orally-administered and topically-administered cannabis products, including oils, tinctures and topicals. While CBN distillate contains a slightly lower concentration of CBN than CBN isolate, it retains the waxes, terpenes, antioxidants and vitamins also in the cannabis.

CBN Isolate

If you are producing any CBN product that requires fine measurements down to the milligram, CBN isolate is the form to use. Fortunately, most CBN for sale in the marketplace comes in CBN isolate form. It is made by completely isolating the CBN in cannabis from all other cannabinoids in the plant, typically through a process of CO2 extraction, making CBN isolate one of the cleanest and purest, and therefore most potent and long-lasting, forms of CBN available. CBN isolates comes as a fine, white powder. It is odorless and tasteless, making it useful in a wide array of medical and therapeutic cannabis products, including tinctures, topicals, edibles, nasal sprays, softgels and a host of pharmaceuticals.

CBN Uses & CBN Distillate Benefits

Further research is needed to reach safe conclusions about its benefits. In studies, CBN has shown promise as a sedative and an appetite stimulant.